More legal knowledge to be made accessible to public: Law Society

SINGAPORE — Plans to enhance the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) and make legal knowledge accessible for more people in the Republic has been announced by the Law Society of Singapore.

These plans are part of the Justice for All project which was launched today (Aug 28).

The project aims to increase the collaborative efforts and engagement between the legal fraternity and other sections of the community, including voluntary welfare organisations and corporations outside of the legal industry.

The project also aims to involve more lawyer-volunteers to play a larger role in the spread of legal knowledge in Singapore’s social landscape.

The Law Society plans to raise S$2 million by the end of next year to fund the project.

Presently, CLAS provided legal representation for qualifying individuals who have been charged with offences under a list of 15 statutes in Singapore.

The Law Society plans to expand CLAS assistance by increasing the number of assisted persons a year from 400 to 6,000.

The Law Society will also be supporting the launch of the Appropriate Adult Scheme by next year, after a seven-month long pilot programme held between June and Nov last year at Bedok Police Division.

Under the scheme, "Appropriate Adults” are trained individuals who facilitate communication between the police and persons in custody suspected of having a mental or intellectual disability. The Law Society aims to launch the scheme by the first quarter of next year in all six police land divisions island-wide.

To provide greater accessibility for the applicants, the Law Society has put plans in place to make legal knowledge more accessible to residents in partnerships with Community Development Council (CDCs). More information will be announced next month.

Also, earlier this year, the Law Society conducted two trial sessions of mobile legal clinics in the Geylang district and at Rowell Road, both of which were well-received, said the Law Society.

By next year, the StreetSmart Initiative will be rolled out to bring legal clinics to Singapore’s local and foreign commercial sex workers.